Buzz Tools News

Buzz Tools Corporation today announced BuzzXplore v2 embroidery organization software, the newest upgrade to its family of embroidery software. Featuring new and enhanced functions, BuzzXplore v2 allows embroidery enthusiasts to easily organize, convert and write embroidery designs to removable media.

"We are thrilled to announce BuzzXplore v2 which is Windows XP/Vista/7 compatible and a whole lot more” said Lisa Shaw, Technical Support Manager of Buzz Tools, Inc. "One of the most common questions we are asked is 'How do I get my designs to my embroidery machine?' We have simplified the process by incorporating a write to drive wizard in the current BuzzXplore holding area - copy any supported embroidery format to the holding area, start the wizard, choose your machine and the designs are automatically unzipped, converted and written to the selected location in the correct folder, if required. A custom user selection option is also available."

New and enhanced formats include expanded support for Artista files - BuzzXplore v2 will display and convert from ART v3, ART v4, ART50 and ART60 to other stitch file formats. Thread palette reading has been enhanced for these formats and are retained/written during the write to drive process. 

The Locate function has been enhanced so that when you choose to search for files, a catalog is created containing all the designs that meet your searching criteria. Wildcards are supported as well as the ability to search a specific folder or an entire drive, local or networked. The located files are displayed and you can choose to filter these results by filetype to further narrow your search and find the designs you are looking for.

BuzzXplore v2 is available as an upgrade from BuzzXplore Embroidery Edition v1 or Buzz Tools Plus v4 or as a full stand alone version. It comes with a selection of professionally digitized designs as well as our free color editor, BuzzEdit Lite.  Included quick start how-to videos demonstrating the basic program functions supplement the program's documentations. Users can also check for program updates automatically over an active internet connection and install them in one easy step.

Buzz Tools Corporation today announced BuzzWord embroidery lettering software, the newest addition to its family of embroidery software. Especially easy-to-use, BuzzWord allows embroidery enthusiasts to add digitized lettering to any embroidery project.

"We are very excited to announce the addition of BuzzWord to the Buzz Tools family of software” said Lisa Laufer Hilmes, CEO and founder of Buzz Tools, Inc. "Our customers have been asking us for a basic lettering program that is like our other software, easy-to-use and budget friendly. BuzzWord does just that and even more with it's unique custom font feature for a price of just $129.95. Finally, embroidery enthusiasts will be able to take full advantage of all of their purchased alphabet designs AND enjoy the flexibility of adding scalable fonts to their embroidery."

The custom font feature that makes BuzzWord so special allows users to turn their alphabet designs into keyboard fonts for perfect alignment and color sorting. A built-in wizard lets users rapidly assign each letter/design to a key on their keyboard. Once assigned, custom fonts are available as a keyboard font so that users can create evenly placed, accurate and FAST designs.

Using the included scalable fonts, users can set font size, add or take away space between letters, fine tune font angle, thickness and density. Lettering can be created using over forty fill patterns for extra large fonts or the traditional satin stitching often used for smaller fonts. For especially decorative lettering applications, BuzzWord users can create shapes or envelopes to contain their lettering. These shaped letters are perfect for monograms, logos and other creative lettering projects.

BuzzWord comes complete with twenty-seven beautiful predigitized fonts and a sample "preassigned" stitch font. Included quick start how-to videos demonstrating the basic program functions supplement the program's documentations. Users can also check for program updates automatically over an active internet connection and install them in one easy step. BuzzWord runs as a stand alone program and/or as an add-on to BuzzEdit version 3 (expected early 2010).

For more information on BuzzWord please visit www.buzztools.com/BuzzWord.asp . BuzzWord is available in August of 2009 from local dealers, off the buzztools.com website or by calling 888-437-6445.

Buzz Tools Corporation today announced Buzz-2-Stitches auto digitizing software, the newest addition to its family of embroidery software. Simple to use, Buzz-2-Stitches quickly turns graphics into embroidery designs that stitch out as beautifully as they look.

"Our customers have been asking for a program that will create embroidery designs from graphics and they wanted it as easy to use as our best selling design management software, Buzz Tools Plus." says Lisa Laufer Hilmes, Founder and CEO of Buzz Tools, Inc. "Buzz-2-Stitches does just that and more by also creating appliqué and cross-stitch motif designs for the affordable price of just $299.95."

How is Buzz-2-Stitches easier to use then the other auto-digitizing software on the market? Rather then having the user select from a wide variety of settings, the best defaults are quickly set in Buzz-2-Stitches when the user selects the graphic style (Does the graphic look like line art, a cartoon, or a photograph?). Outstanding results can be obtained by using the program defaults or the user can adjust the settings to specific graphics and/or individual desires. To provide proper stabilization of the stitches, numerous fabric types are built-in or the user can create, customize and save their personal fabric settings.

The embroidery designs created in Buzz-2-Stitches provide the same outstanding design format quality that is the foundation of the Buzz Tools embroidery software line. Other features include printable sewing templates, a sewing simulator, a realistic 3D view and the ability to change or reorder colors. Buzz-2-Stitches also integrates seamlessly into BuzzEdit embroidery editing software if when this program is also installed.

The software comes complete with over fifty professional quality graphics provided by Clipartopolis.com and fifty additional graphics sorted by styles to make it even easier to get started. Included quick start how-to videos demonstrating the basic program functions supplement the program’s documentation. With an active internet connection, users can also check for program updates and install them in one easy step.

To see how Buzz-2-Stitches works, Buzz Tools offers a video demo at www.BuzzTools.com. Buzz-2-Stitches is available from local dealers, off the BuzzTools.com website or by calling Buzz Tools at 1-888-437-6445.

BuzzXplore® Embroidery Edition, Buzz Tools®' full featured embroidery design organization program, now writes SHV formatted diskettes for direct use in the embroidery machines that support them. The multi-function holding area of the program was originally designed to interface directly with the BuzzBox® embroidery card reader / writer. The newest version of BuzzXplore® expands the abilities of the holding area to make creating formatted SHV diskettes quick and easy for even beginner embroidery hobbyist.

“Buzz Tools software programs have been developed to simplifying the everyday tasks of the machine embroiderer” said Lisa Laufer Hilmes, CEO and founder of Buzz Tools, Inc. “Adding this feature provides our users with an affordable way to get designs to their SHV machines and provides yet another feature our customers have been asking for.”

It only takes a few steps to write a SHV diskette with the new version of BuzzXplore®. First, select the design(s) to stitch in the display pane and click the "Copy to Holding Area" button. Next, click the "Write to Card" button and follow the on-screen wizard. The diskette is correctly formatted for the SHV embroidery machine and the designs are written to it - converted and unzipped at the same time if needed! The designs can also be read back to the computer using an easy on-screen wizard.

In addition, the latest version of BuzzXplore® include a "Tip of the Day" which highlights different program functions and supplements the programs online help and user manual. With an active internet connection, users can check for program updates and install them in one easy step.

To see how BuzzXplore® works, Buzz Tools offers a free full-featured demo at www.buzztools.com. In addition, current BuzzXplore® users can visit the website and download a free update. A special upgrade version for Buzz Tools Plus owners is also available for purchase. BuzzXplore® is available from local dealers, off the buzztools.com website or by calling 1-888-437-6445.

Buzz Tools latest release of the easy-to-use embroidery design management program Buzz Tools Plus includes new and updated design file formats, improved simple-to-use task wizards and a new fast access menu button bar. Buzz Tools Plus displays embroidery designs in a catalog format, unzips and converts them to other embroidery formats, opens them into embroidery software on-the-fly and more!

Buzz Tools Plus has been the machine embroiderers faithful friend since 1997 and the new version keeps the streamlined interface that thousands of customers told us was “SO EASY!!” said Lisa Laufer Hilmes, CEO and founder of Buzz Tools, Inc. “We carefully added the new features and formats without changing the way the program looks and feels."

With the latest version of Buzz Tools Plus, users can quickly page through their catalog or begin one of the popular BuzzTools wizards (embroidery conversion, unzipping or printing) with a simple click of the mouse on the new menu button bar. Select a design and click on the BuzzEdit menu button to open the selected design into the free color editor or the full version of BuzzEdit if installed. Instant open support is also provided for owners of BuzzSize and the BuzzBox.

Other new features include the ability to remember the last catalog that was viewed, listing “My Documents” as a virtual drive location in the select files dialog, and the realistic 3D viewing & printing of embroidery designs in actual size. Version 4 also integrates the stitch processor of BuzzSize during the conversions if this program is detected.

Enhanced help and support features include quick start how-to videos demonstrating the basic program functions to supplement the program’s documentation. With an active internet connection, users can check for program updates and install them in one easy step.

To see how Buzz Tools Plus works, Buzz Tools? offers a free full-featured demo at www.buzztools.com. Buzz Tools Plus is available from local dealers, off the buzztools.com website or by calling 1-888-437-6445.

Buzz Tools latest release of the easy-to-use embroidery editing software BuzzEdit includes a long list of powerful new features including digitizing, auto hooping and more.

With BuzzEdit, embroiderers can easily edit their stitch based designs, doing anything from simple color changes to more complicated operations such as cutting and pasting together different design elements. Plus, BuzzEdit allows home hobbyists to lay out large designs for standard, giant or custom multi-hoops, and BuzzEdit™ prints multi-hoop placement templates.

Now with the latest version of BuzzEdit, users can digitize designs using a number of manual punching tools and background graphics. Digitizing tools can create closed shapes such as ellipses, rectangles, columns, and custom which can be used to create new objects or holes in existing stitching. Open shapes can also be created using a number of available stitch types.

Embroidery hobbyists will also enjoy the new powerful auto-hooping tool that automatically splits a design into sections for multiple hoopings. Alternatively, users can slice designs manually using the slice tool when absolute control in needed. Other tools for multi-hooping include an alignment line insertion tool, custom multi-hoops for manual hooping and fully adjustable hoop positions for the multi-hoops that support them.

BuzzEdit provides key layout features including grids, background colors and graphics. The background graphic can be printed in mirror image with design placement dots for use as an iron-on transfer for mixed media embroidery projects.

"With the latest version of BuzzEdit, Buzz Tools has introduced a truly affordable design editing and creation software program. BuzzEdit provides embroidery capabilities that offer exciting possibilities for the home hobbyist.” said Lisa Laufer, CEO and founder of Buzz Tools, Inc. “However, unlike many other software programs in this category, it is also remarkably easy to use."

BuzzEdit’s patented Stitches-In-Time display provides a unique timeline view of designs where users can select different elements to manipulate independently from the rest of the design. The Stitches-In-Time? display also makes it easy to locate and select different types of stitching, change stitch order, and analyze design elements.

The user-friendly software is easy for anyone with basic Windows experience and is compatible with most Windows-based operating systems. BuzzEdit version 2 reads and write the stitch-based design formats of most home embroidery machines such as: PES and PEC – Baby Lock / Bernina Deco / Brother / Simplicity / White, HUS and VIP – Viking Husqvarna, PCS and VIP – Pfaff, SEW and JEF – Janome New Home / Elna, EMD – Elna Xpressive, XXX – Singer PSW / Compucon, CSD – Poem / Singer EU / Viking Huskygram, EXP – DOS Expanded; DST – Tajima. It also imports the following condensed and machine formats: ART – Bernina Artista, GNC – Great Notions, OEF – OESD Condensed, CND – Melco Condensed, SHV – Viking Designer machines, and PHC – Brother machines

BuzzEdit version 2 is available this fall and has a suggested retail price of $189.95. Current BuzzEdit customers can upgrade to BuzzEdit version 2 at special upgrade price of just $89.95. BuzzEdit customers who purchased BuzzEdit version 1 after January 15, 2003, are eligible to receive BuzzEdit version 2 FREE for a limited time only. Upgrade requests must be made on the web and restrictions apply.

To see how BuzzEdit works, Buzz Tools offers a free demo at www.buzztools.com (available Fall 2003). This fully functional program demonstrates all of BuzzEdit’s functions except the ability to save or print a design. BuzzEdit is available from local dealers, off the buzztools.com website or by calling 1-888-437-6445.

With the BuzzBox embroidery transfer system, embroidery hobbyists can transfer digitized designs to the high capacity re-writable memory card (included). The design transfer system reads pre-programmed embroidery cards, embroidery designs downloaded from the internet or purchased on CD's or Floppies. For PES or HUS formatted embroidery machines.

“The BuzzBox provides embroidery hobbyists with the best of both worlds.” says Lisa A. Laufer, Founder and CEO of Buzz Tools Inc. “The BuzzBox combines the highly reliable reader / writer box hardware manufactured by Vikant Corporation with a specially designed Buzz Tools card writing software to provide embroidery hobbyists with the fastest and easiest method for transferring embroidery designs to their PES or HUS formatted embroidery machines. “

The BuzzBox supports PES Formatted Embroidery Machines: Brother, Baby Lock, Bernina Deco, Simplicity, and White 3300 machines and HUS Formatted Embroidery Machines (all Viking except Designer 1 Series). It writes any number of designs on the high capacity 1 MB re-writable card (not software limited).

The BuzzBox is available this fall and has a suggested retail price of $229.95.

As a special thank-you to our BuzzXplore customers, we have included a FREE Graphics Add-In Module in the latest BuzzXplore free update!  User's who update their programs will also add double-click support for the MagicBox, DreamBox and/or AmazingBox.  This update also adds several other new features and corrects a few program bugs.

Buzz Tools Plus users can update their programs to add double-click support for the MagicBox, DreamBox and/or AmazingBox.  This update also adds "VIP customizing", "VIP reader/writer" to the on-the-fly open settings options and it corrects a few program errors. 

The BuzzXplore Cross-Stitch Edition is now shipping.